Manhattan Melodies
by dragonwings948
Summary: Rose finds herself on her first real date with the Meta-Crisis Doctor, who still has a few time lord issues he has to put aside... #4 in the Doctor WhoToo series,. sequel to Rose's Choice. Copyright to the BBC.
1. Chapter 1

Rose woke up with a start, and sighed with relief as she saw herself surrounded by the familiar TARDIS walls. Her dream almost slipped from her, but there was one thing she remembered; her mum, worried sick about her. The dream came flooding back, and Rose felt her throat tighten. Mum couldn't really be worried, could she? The Doctor would go back just after they left, and Mum wouldn't even know they had gone.

But at the same time...what if he didn't get it right? What if the TARDIS acted up and landed in the wrong time, far in the future, and then they couldn't go back because of a paradox or some sort of other thing? And in some sort of alternate future, her mum _was _worried about her, because she had disappeared in the middle of the night.

Rose swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, steadying herself on the wall as her head swam. A heaviness weighed down on her, and she realized that she must not have gotten near enough sleep. She glanced down at a little clock by her bedside that was set to London time, placed there by either the Doctor or the TARDIS. It read four o' clock in the morning, which meant that she had only had around three and a half hours of sleep.

Still, Rose knew that she couldn't go to bed with that dream in mind. She exited her room, and looked down the long hallway. She wasn't sure where the Doctor's room was, or if he even had one. In her mind, it wouldn't be unusual if he fell asleep in the chair next to the TARDIS control panel. Either way, she wouldn't want to wake him.

Rose tiptoed down the hallway, her stomach emitting a quiet growl. She mentally shushed it and padded into the control room, telling herself that food could wait. The lights in the room were dimmed, though a gentle hum reverberated throughout the floor. She looked around for the Doctor, but didn't see him anywhere.

With muted footsteps, Rose made her way to the TARDIS doors and pulled them open. Outside was the endless expanse of space, drifting by at a slow pace. It was peaceful and comforting somehow, and Rose's dream was momentarily forgotten.

A warm hand grasped hers. Rose jumped, and then looked up to see the Doctor, still dressed in his blue suit, smiling down at her with an eyebrow raised.

"A few hours might be enough to keep me going for a little while, but it's definitely not enough for you." He pressed her hand and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"It's my family," said Rose, looking down and seeing their faces in her head. "I miss them."

"You're afraid that we'll end up in the wrong time." It was a statement, not a question.

Rose nodded. "I keep thinking that my mum is worrying about me..."

"Do you want to go home then?"

She looked up at him. Though he wore an indifferent expression, Rose knew that he would be reluctant to go back.

"Just for a visit, then we can go off again." Rose's stomach growled in the silence that followed, and she shook her head.

The Doctor smiled and chuckled. "Right, then. Your wish is my command. But I think we might need to do something about that appetite of yours first."

Rose looked down at her stomach. "I am pretty hungry..."

"Don't worry. I know just the place." The Doctor jumped to the console, and the TARDIS came to life. The lights brightened, and the contents of the tube in the center of the control panel moved up and down. That familiar whining noise followed, and then came a satisfied thump as the TARDIS landed a minute or so later.

The Doctor glanced at the TARDIS' screen, smiled, and turned to face Rose. He tugged at the bottom of his jacket and his eyebrows furrowed together. "I need to change." And without another word, he bounded off through the door and down the hallway.

"Doctor!" Rose called after him, utterly confused. It was no use. She walked over to the screen, which showed a small Italian restaurant across a blacktop road. People sat around tables in front of the restaurant, all attired in black suits and ties or elegant dresses. It was nighttime, and people were walking up and down the road chatting and laughing. Music drifted from somewhere close by, maybe even from the restaurant.

So it had gone from getting food to a date with the Doctor. It wouldn't be their first date, but it had been a long time. For some reason, butterflies flitted through Rose's stomach, replacing the feeling of hunger. Why was she nervous? This was the Doctor, the man she knew so well, the man she trusted her life to...

And still the feeling wouldn't go away. Rose looked down at her faded jeans and t-shirt. She definitely needed to change. With that, she ran to her room to find the perfect outfit.


	2. Chapter 2

"What have I gotten myself into?" the Doctor muttered as he threw another ridiculous outfit on his bed. "Can't you give me anything good to wear?" he said louder, looking up at the ceiling of the TARDIS.

As if in answer, a black sleeve on the rack in his closet caught the Doctor's eye. He pulled out a black suit and tie, as well as a white dress shirt. Now that wasn't so bad; not like the nostalgic outfits he had rummaged through just moments earlier. The TARDIS must have been pulling things from his memories, including clothes from younger regenerations. She had to know that none of them would be acceptable for what he had in mind, which meant that he had another mischievous TARDIS. But how could it be exciting any other way?

The Doctor changed into the suit and looked at himself in a full length mirror next to his closet. He straightened his tie and nodded. "Not bad." He fluffed his hair up a little more, and then was satisfied. He exited his room and walked down the hallway to Rose's room.

"Rose?" he asked in quiet voice as he knocked on the door. "Are you ready?"

The door slid open to reveal Rose in a knee length shimmering black dress complimented by a long, dark sweater. Her hair was all done up in a neat bun, with bangs hanging on either side of her face. She smiled at him with red lips, her bright eyes framed by dark makeup.

The Doctor had to remind himself to breathe as he looked at her. It was such a human thing, being so captivated by beauty to the point where your normal bodily functions stopped. Well, time lord, human, or both, nothing could ever be more beautiful than her, his Rose.

As soon as he gathered his wits about him, he smiled back at her. "You look beautiful, Rose."

Her smiled widened. She looked him over and raised her eyebrows. "Look at you, handsome. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever change out of that suit."

"Oi, watch it." The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest. "I gave you a compliment, and all you can manage is an insult."

"You're the one getting defensive over a joke." Rose elbowed him in the ribs as she looped her arm through his. "Come on, we're late for our date."

The Doctor smiled and led on without another comment, walking through the TARDIS in silence. Outside, a crisp breeze blew through the streets of Manhattan, sending a shiver down the Doctor's spine. The air was clean and fresh, nothing like it would be in about fifty years time. The 1930s; fun and carefree, with a war past and people looking far ahead into the bright future, even in this universe.

Their arms still linked, the Doctor and Rose walked across the street to a small Italian restaurant named Angelo's. The Doctor still remembered when he had come here while on a business trip eighty years in the future, knowing in the back of his mind that Rose would love it, though he had refused to let the thoughts come to the forefront of his mind. They would have been too painful at the time.

Now here he was, his daydreams becoming a reality. They entered the restaurant, which was all pristine and spotless inside. A smiling waiter with a strong Italian accent led them out back to an enclosed courtyard, where the tables were spread out to allow room for dancing to the live music next door.

They were seated at a solitary table in the corner with a perfect view of the dancing couples. The Doctor was entranced, remembering that he hadn't danced in a long time. Rose, too, seemed captivated by the twirling couples, watching them with wistful eyes.

The dinner passed in a normal fashion as the Doctor and Rose recalled old adventures and events. Rose also seemed quite amused with the Doctor as he tried to eat spaghetti, which he had momentarily forgotten how to do. They laughed and talked for quite a long while, until everyone else had vanished from the courtyard. Night had completely fallen, but there were plenty of lit lamps outside. The band at the restaurant next door played on, regardless of the dark.

At one point, the Doctor leaned back in his chair and sighed. He had the urge to belch, and though he knew that he would be amused, Rose would probably frown upon it. Instead, he smiled at his date and said, "If there's one thing I love about humans, it's their food. Really, you lot know how to make the _best_ food."

"You know," said Rose, leaning forward with a jocular smile, "you're part human now. 'You lot' applies to you too."

_"Part _human," the Doctor emphasized, telling himself in his head that he was much more time lord than human.

The music of a slow waltz drifted from over the courtyard's high fence. The Doctor scanned the empty courtyard, and then looked at Rose. He reached his hand out across the table. "What do you say, Rose Tyler? I haven't been your partner in far too long."

Rose turned around and looked over the courtyard, seeming to be surprised that it was empty. A sly smile spread across her face as she took his hand. "Only if you haven't lost your moves."

The Doctor managed to put on a serious countenance. "I will never lose my moves." A smile broke through as soon as he said it, and they both laughed as they got out of their seats and stepped into the clearing.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Again, I'm sorry I haven't had time to update more. After this weekend I'll be updating a lot more, I promise! However, in compensation I have given you a long chapter and finished this story. :)**

"It's been a long time since we've danced," said the Doctor as he held her gingerly by the waist with one arm.

Rose slipped an arm around his neck, and they joined their free hands in the air, interlacing their fingers. "You were a different man then."

"Literally." The Doctor had a quick moment of panic as they stood there. Out of all the things in his head, he had to forget how to waltz at a time like this! It had to be in there somewhere...come on...

Ah. The Doctor stepped into the dance with an inaudible sigh of relief. Rose beamed at him, as if pleased that he knew the dance.

He lowered his voice, as it seemed appropriate with the soft music in the background. "Like I said, I'll never lose my moves."

"I never doubted you for a second," said Rose with a laugh, matching his volume.

The rest of the dance was silent, a suspended moment in time that the Doctor was sure he would never forget. To feel them moving together in a flawless dance, to see Rose's beautiful face and enamored expression was almost too much for the Doctor's single heart to bear.

It all ended too soon, and the music ended on a soft chord and faded away. Though they stopped dancing, they didn't move from their positions. Almost unconsciously, their heads began to drift toward each other.

A thousand thoughts raced through the Doctor's head at once. The same old doubts and fears that had stopped him so many times plagued his mind again now. Half of him knew that the arguments were absurd and silly, but the other half wondered if they were really true.  
Was he so sure that Rose would always stay with him? What if she left? Would he be even able to bear memories like these again?

And what if she stayed, and he lost her? Was it worth the pain he could suffer later?

The Doctor lifted his head and smiled at Rose. "Ready to go see your mum, then?"

Rose offered him a tired smile. "Yeah," she answered a little absentmindedly.

The Doctor let go of his hold on her, but took her hand in his. The short journey back to the TARDIS was completely unseen by the Doctor. He was already mentally chiding himself, seething at his own stupidity on the inside.

This same thing had happened so many times before. He had told himself it was different now, because he didn't live forever. He never had to move on without Rose, and he didn't intend to in the slightest. What reason did he have to tell her he loved her and then brush her off without any explanation?

But the moment was long gone now. The Doctor was more forceful with the controls than usual as they entered into the TARDIS, slamming down levers and punching buttons. Still, he moved around so fast that Rose would never be able to notice.

He paused and looked back at her for a second. She stood with her arms crossed, watching him with amazement like usual. Nothing had changed in her expression, though he knew that his rejection must have stung.

The Doctor looked back at the control panel. The screen still showed the restaurant across the street, bathed in a soft glow from street lamps. If he could just get it to play back...

He fiddled with a few controls and smiled as the screen rewound. It paused right at the beginning of the waltz, as if it knew where he had wanted it to start. The Doctor amplified the song to echo throughout the TARDIS, and turned around to face Rose with a bright smile.

Though she seemed confused, she willingly copied her position from only a few minutes before, and the Doctor wrapped his arm around her waist again.

"What's this?" Rose asked, looking up at him. From this view, the Doctor could see the hurt in her eyes.

"An apology." They began to dance around the TARDIS to the slow music. Rose looked down, and the Doctor could tell that she knew exactly what he meant.

"It's alright," she said, meeting his gaze again. "I get it, if you don't want it to be like that."

"No, it's not alright." The Doctor freed the hand that was clasped with hers and placed it on her cheek. Her hand came to rest on his shoulder, where her grip grew tighter as he spoke. "I love you, Rose," he said softly, carefully pronouncing each word. "I always tried to keep myself detached from feelings like this, because I knew that no matter how much I loved, I would always have to move on. But I don't anymore, and sometimes I still forget that." He pressed her closer as the music swelled, never missing one step in the dance.

"Silly old alien," Rose said with a smile.

"Silly old me." Pushing every other thought away, the Doctor leaned forward and kissed her, their feet halting in the middle of the dance. The Doctor could feel his heart pumping faster and faster inside his chest, his body growing warm; all new and different as a human.

Rose pulled away with a smile, their heads still only a few inches apart. "Apology accepted," she said with a laugh.

The Doctor leaned his forehead against hers and wrapped both of his arms around her. He smiled at the warm feeling inside of him, starting at the tips of his toes and rising all the way up to his head; that feeling that made him want to just sing and shout for joy.

"I love you, Doctor," Rose murmured, her eyes shining.

"Rose Tyler, I love you." He kissed her once more, just for a moment, and then jumped to the TARDIS' control panel, tripping over the chair and falling on top of the controls. He could hear Rose's laughter behind him, making him smile despite the ache of a lever pressing into his gut.

"Well then, it's time to go back to modern day London. What year is it? 2012?"

"Lost track already?" Rose came to stand by his side. "Yes, it's 2012."

"Good. Hold down that button right there." The Doctor pointed and Rose obeyed. "Now jiggle that lever."

Rose gripped the lever with both hands and moved it back and forth, smiling at the Doctor with her eyebrows raised. Suddenly, the TARDIS went completely black; lights, controls, everything. Rose dropped her hands from the control, her brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"I don't know." And he genuinely didn't. He ran around the console three times, examining for something wrong. "What? What?" He didn't understand. What was wrong with his new TARDIS? She was perfectly built and stable. What could go wrong?

The Doctor had to stop, breathing hard as he scratched the back of his head, staring at the control board. Rose looked at him with her hands on her hips, her back facing the TARDIS doors. "Is everything alright, Doctor?"

"I don't know. Everything just completely shut down." He made a move to go run around the controls again, but something behind Rose caught his eye. Just a shadow, most likely, but he looked anyway.

The Doctor stood stock still. His mouth went dry. He trained his eyes on the familiar sight and swallowed hard, wondering how, in all the universe, it could have gotten into the TARDIS.

"Rose," he said slowly. "Don't turn around."


End file.
